Shari Dahmer Says She’s 'Proud' Of Her Last Name After Jeffrey Dahmer Killings
Netflix is dropping yet another series about notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and his heinous, decade-long killing spree, which will follow the streamer's hit limited series, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.
With some victims as young as 14 years old, Jeffrey often targeted gay men of color, and would dismember, have sex with, photograph and save pieces of their bodies as souvenirs, according to Biography. His crimes took place over a decade, from 1978 to 1991, before he was eventually caught by authorities, thanks to Tracy Edwards, who managed to escape Jeffrey's home and alert the police.
With so much Jeffrey Dahmer content hitting the big screen, true-crime fans have been eager to learn more about the killer's victims and his own family, including his step-mother, Shari Dahmer. From her reaction to Jeffrey crimes, to where she is now, here's everything to know about Shari.
Who is Shari Dahmer?
Shari Dahmer is the step-mother of Jeffrey Dahmer and wife of Lionel Dahmer. She married Jeffrey's father in 1978 after he divorced his first wife and Jeffrey's mother, Joyce Flint, per The Cinemaholic.
She's been open about her experience with Jeffrey.
Shari appeared in the 2017 Oxygen documentary, Dahmer On Dahmer, where she spoke about what it was like to meet Jeffrey for the first time, per The Cinemaholic.
“What I wanted to do, and what most people wanted to do, was mother him," said Shari. "He was just vulnerable. Even if I wasn’t his stepmother all his life, as a mother you sense those things.”
She explained that the only thing that ever stood out was his drinking habits, but finding out about his secret life completely shocked her.
Shari also revealed that she once went to Jeffrey apartment in search of evidence. “When I went to Jeff’s apartment, I went through his refrigerator and his bathroom. I pulled back the bathroom’s shower curtain. At that point, his apartment was perfectly clean. Spotless,” she said, per The Cinemaholic.
She and Lionel went to the trial.
The couple showed up for Jeffrey at his trial, but Jeffrey's little brother, David, did not. A photo was snapped of the couple watching his trial:
She addressed the murders on 'Larry King Live.'
Unlike other parents in similar situations that prefer to avoid the tabloids and press, Shari went on CNN's Larry King Live with Lionel Dahmer in 2004 to share what it was like raising Jeffrey.
When they were asked what their motivation was for appearing on television, Lionel and Shari stressed that they only had good intentions. "Anything that we could do to prevent another Jeff would be a blessing. It is not easy...no one allows us to forget about it," explained Shari.
Even so, she expressed that she was proud of her last name regardless of its association with Jeffrey. “I’m proud of my name. I used it in the business world. I use it still. I have no reason to deny who I am. We didn’t do anything wrong,” said Shari.
Where is Shari Dahmer now?
Now in her eighties, it is believed that Shari still resides in Ohio with Lionel Dahmer, per The Cinemaholic.
You Might Also Like
